The wolf heaved her pup-filled belly in a contraction. A brown wolf with yellow eyes placed the backside of a light-brown-tipped paw on her belly, looking with low-lidded eyes at her. The pregnant she-wolf looked at her, her dark blue eyes searching every detail of the brown she-wolf's face. Her white-furred hackles tried to raise, but she could not manage it.
She could manage a growl, however, and that is what she did. The brown wolf flattened her ears slightly, but said back, "Hush, sister. I understand you are in pain, but you have to let me feel if a pup is coming." The pregnant wolf relaxed, but still kept an eye on her. A sudden contraction jolted her body, and a pup slid out. The brown she-wolf went to work at once, licking the pup and breaking the sac around it.
The pup let out a little mewl, its eyes shut tightly. She noticed the pup was black, like no wolf she had seen in her pack. Another contraction came, and a second pup slid out. This time it was white, like its father. The brown wolf's eyes widened slightly, but returned to normal quickly, as not to startle the mother.
She went to work licking the second pup, ignoring its small protests. She then turned to the mother and felt her belly. It had turned reatively flat. There would be no more pups. She turned soft and proud eyes to the mother wolf, who looked exhausted but happy.
The dark brown tail of the mother wolf softly herded the still-wet pups to her belly. She stopped breathing for a moment as she looked at the pups. One was white-the other was black as midnight. She looked at her sister (sharply) for an explanation. The brown wolf shook her head, having no explanation other than "The Skies chose it."
The mother wolf's voice was low. "Do you think it's a sign?" she asked her. "Clove, I have not heard from the Skies for four full half-moons-as long as you've been pregnant. Why would they send one now?" The brown wolf's voice sounded exasperated-and as if she were unconvinced by her own words. Clove pretended to take no notice, as she had practiced over and over to keep her mate happy.
"I will name this one Night," she said about the black pup, but she was interrupted by her sister with an almost inaudible whine. "Oh, what is it, Arrow?" Clove was not amused as her parents would have been at Arrow's interruption. These were her pups! "Remember the old legend, Clove?" Arrow asked.
"Ama and Luna?" What does that have to do with anything? Clove's voice was surprised at the question. "I suggest we name the black pup Lunai," Arrow replied.
"After Lunaiasu?"
"Who else? The name fits her perfectly, and I doubt she's going to be different from any of the other pups when they're out of the den."
"What if, though...?" Clove's voice trailed off before the unspeakable question surfaced.
Arrow flattened her ears, and her fur puffed up as it did when she was agitated. "What if? I don't think she'll even have blue eyes by the time the color's evident. It's not an osprey, Clove! The color isn't evident when they open their eyes!
"I bet she'll have yellow eyes, like her father." Arrow's fur flattened again, and her yellow eyes softened from their hard, glowing, gold gaze that never left Clove's face. Light seemed to stream from her eyes.
"I bet they'll be beautiful." She sighed happily.
The two wolves agreed to name the black pup Lunai, after the ancient Lunaiasu, goddess of the night. Clove chose the name Lune for the white pup, after the moon. The two pups softly suckled Clove's belly, and when their tiny bellies were full, they lay squeaking as they snored at their mother's belly. Once more, the wolves of Agata were at peace, if only for a moment.